Enea Bastianini "Can't Explain" Struggle with Soft Rear Tyre on KTM MotoGP 2025?

MotoGP, Sportrik Media – Rider Enea Bastianini admits he cannot explain his difficulties using the soft rear tyre on the KTM RC16 throughout the 2025 MotoGP season. This issue has been the primary reason behind his poor qualifying and sprint performances.

The Italian rider joined the Red Bull KTM Tech3 team in 2025 after leaving Ducati, where he secured seven grand prix victories. However, adapting to the Austrian machine proved challenging from preseason testing, particularly with soft rear rubber.

This problem was evident in qualifying, where Enea Bastianini advanced to Q2 only four times and entered the top 10 grid on just three occasions. Yet, strong starting positions led to his best results, including a sprint podium at Brno and third place in the Catalan Grand Prix.

He finished the championship in 14th with 112 points.

“The trend is this: Friday is complicated, Saturday a bit less, and Sunday in the race we are competitive,” Bastianini explained.

“We are competitive because in the race with the medium tyre, I find the confidence to be fast. With the soft, the bike gives me the opposite: no confidence, I can’t push.”

“It’s like the rear pushes me out in every corner, and it’s much more complicated to turn. With the medium, it’s much better for me to slide the rear, I’m more confident, and lap by lap I’m more confident. This happens every time.”

Furthermore, the packed MotoGP weekend schedule requires qualifying pace by Friday afternoon. However, Bastianini believes the current format has aided his bike understanding.

“Sometimes the sprint has helped me to be fast on Sunday, because if we analyse, during the warm-up many times I’m fast. It’s always the same when we use the tyre of the race. When we use the tyre of the sprint, the soft, I’m always behind and trying to do something different on the bike.”

“But checking the video, I’m not relaxed, it’s not my style, and I can’t explain why.”

Deeper analysis reveals Enea Bastianini's soft tyre issues not only affected grid positions but overall podium chances. Meanwhile, his Red Bull KTM Tech3 teammate Maverick Vinales, along with factory riders Brad Binder and Pedro Acosta, faced similar Michelin tyre challenges, though less severely.

On the other hand, Bastianini's stronger race pace with medium tyres highlights his tyre-saving riding style, a legacy from Ducati. Yet, switching to KTM demands significant adjustments, especially in turning characteristics and initial grip management.

With the 2025 season concluded, Bastianini hopes the two-month break allows a reset to find solutions for 2026. Additionally, his contract with KTM runs until the end of 2026, providing stability amid rising pressure to regain competitiveness.

Future prospects depend on RC16 development, particularly aerodynamics and electronics suited to Bastianini's style.